5 reasons your cold is lasting longer than it should
Rhinoviruses are the most common cause of common cold, accounting for 10 to 40 percent of colds. Other common cold viruses include coronavirus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). If your immune system is robust, a cold should generally run it’s course within 3-7 days. Sometimes symptoms may last a lot longer and contribute to prolonged illness.
Most of the acute symptoms of a cold are engineered by the virus to help ensure its spread. Runny nose, watery eyes, coughing and sneezing are all ways to get virus particles outside your body and spread them as widely as possible. This all relates to the acute stage of a virus. Beyond this point, the body should go into remission and recovery, but there are a few reasons symptoms may linger.
1. Not enough rest and sleep
Rest is essential for getting over a virus. It means taking a day or two off, laying in bed, drinking warm fluids, and no exertion. Even if symptoms are mild, there’s still a strong chance resistance could wane if the body is not resting enough.
2. You’re suppressing your immune system
While regular exercise can benefit the immune system, intense activity can suppress immune function short term, so during the first sign of illness, exercise should be avoided.
Spikes in blood glucose from sugary foods can suppress the immune system. Excess sugar in the bloodstream hinders the white blood cells' ability to engulf and destroy harmful microbes, thus weakening our immune response.
While a delicious hot toddy feels good during cold winter nights, alcohol consumption can disrupt ciliary function in the upper airways, impair the function of immune cells, and weaken the barrier function of the lower airways, leading to reduced immune defences and lingering symptoms.
3. There’s an unknown allergy exposure
Winter is prime time for mould infestations, as we tend to keep windows and doors closed to hold in the warm air. In doing so, your home may lack proper ventilation, which causes the build-up of humid air and mould growth. This increase in mould exposure or an unknown/undiagnosed mould allergy may cause persistent cold-like symptoms that often defy conventional therapy. This may present as headaches, fatigue, brain fog, post-nasal drip, and asthmatic symptoms that persist beyond the normal week of a common cold infection.
4. You’re low on fluids
A fever caused by viruses draws moisture out of the body, leaving you more dehydrated. Plus, you lose fluid as your body makes mucus and it drains away. And, any over-the-counter cold medicine you might be taking to dry up your sinuses? It can dry the rest of you out, too.
Keep on top of fluids, just as you do normally for general health, but top it up with some extra. It can also come in the form of herbal teas, soups, broths, and stews.
Remember, drinking cold water is a big no-no in Chinese Medicine, so may sure your water is warm or room temp.
5. You’re stressed
Increased cortisol (stress hormone) can directly impact the immune system. When under increased amounts of stress, it becomes more difficult to fight off viruses, leading you to become more vulnerable to infection. Once infected, ongoing stress will make your body less able to respond to cortisol, which helps your body’s response to further illness and prolonged symptoms.
